Ivan notices Shawn’s uneasiness immediately. He wonders what is passing through his friend’s mind to make him look half troubled and half anxious. Then he notices the purple in the sky fading away to a reddish glow. “Almost sunrise, Shawn.”
You are running out of time, Shawn. Urging himself to speak, Shawn takes a deep breath. “Have you ever met a person that reminds you of lemon flavoured pop in the summer, gentle breeze from the distant mountains, and fragments of stars that accidentally fell into your arms?” Ivan looked confused, but Shawn could be almost certain that behind his poker face mask, he must be smiling. “You know that he is and will be the most breathtaking view that you ever encounter, you know that he is the best person you meet in your life. He is God’s most prided work of art and a ray of sunlight in your life. You know that you must grab on to him, or it’ll become your life’s greatest regret. So Ivan I…” Shawn stops.
Behind Shawn, the stars fade away and the moon hides her face behind the curtain of night. Some soft light starts to trickle out from behind the horizon, but not yet, almost. Barely noticeable, all noises stop, waiting quietly in anticipation.
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Shawn mustered up his courage and strength. The last gamble, he thought.
Ivan smiles. “I like you.”
Everything came to life again. The sky brightened up of a sudden, the sun peeking from behind the horizon line. Light radiated from the sun outwards and expanded beyond. It was like God’s golden paint was accidentally spilled on earth, covering everything with a layer of glowing light. It is already the break of dawn, but Shawn can still see stars and pieces of moonlight in Ivan’s eyes, asking him if he understands Ivan’s heart. Dawn slowly turns to day, birds begin to chirp, and the fire slowly extinguishes, leaving a pile of black coal and some over-cooked marshmallows.
Shawn is still dazzled by Ivan’s tiny smile when Ivan asked him if he still wanted the marshmallows. Baffled, Shawn takes one and puts it in his mouth. As sweet as ever.
“So, do you mind being my boyfriend?”
Ivan looks at him, puzzled. “I already have a boyfriend, didn’t I tell you?”
“Wait what? When? Didn’t you just say you like me?”
Ivan smiled again, almost pulling off a grin. “You, sunshine.”
You are more than a ray of sunlight in my life.